Spotsylvania supervisors under scrutiny for social media posts, election filings

The Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors’ agenda was light with no public hearings on Tuesday night, but there were still plenty of fireworks.

Two members of the board came under fire during the meeting for different reasons.

Courtland District Supervisor Drew Mullins apologized near the end of the meeting for posts that he made on the social media platform X. Residents also questioned recently appointed Chancellor District Supervisor Tim McLaughlin’s character and attention to detail, alleging that he used the wrong address on his application to be considered for the position; he didn’t file conflict of interest statements before he was sworn in as required by law; and he accosted a county resident with harsh language at early voting.

“As an elected official, you’re supposed to understand that you’re going to be held to a higher degree of scrutiny,” said Dante Braden, who accused McLaughlin of accosting him for questioning his address. “You’re supposed to take that at face value and be comfortable with it.”

McLaughlin said the incident with Braden is “a non-issue.” But other residents requested the board to take action.

“The professional and personal conduct of members must be above reproach and avoid even the appearance of impropriety,” county resident Cindy Staats said. “Members shall refrain from abusive conduct … Mr. McLaughlin’s behavior and false statement on his application is highly unbecoming of an official and should be investigated and appropriate action taken.”

McLaughlin attributed his late filing of the conflict of interest form to the hurried nature of him taking on the position after he was appointed to the seat vacated by Gerald Childress on Sept. 8.

Dawn Shelley, who also applied for the Chancellor District vacancy, filed a Freedom of Information Act request for McLaughlin’s conflict of interest form last week, and noted that it was completed this past Monday. He was sworn in on Sept. 10. In Virginia, new members of a board of supervisors are required to complete and file a Statement of Economic Interests as a condition of assuming office under the State and Local Government Conflict of Interests Act.

McLaughlin admitted that the home at the address he used on his resume for the position is up for sale but added that his current address is in the Chancellor District. Supervisor David Goosman, who voted for McLaughlin, and Supervisor Chris Yakabouski — who didn’t support his nomination — both said the address issue isn’t relevant.

“Everybody’s looking for a ‘gotcha.’ Did he cross his Ts?” McLaughlin said. “Why don’t we work on real issues instead of attacking each other here for a while. Sometimes I think people think it’s just easier to undercut somebody with a cheap shot.”

Mullins made his X account private this week, but not before residents viewed posts, including one that said, “GFYS Commie homo,” and another that he reposted stating that a ‘G’ on a LGBTQ pride flag stands for “groomers.”

Mullins also posted expressing shock that a Black male was the lone juror wanting to convict Lindsay Clancy in a highly-publicized murder trial, lamented Spanish speaking students overwhelming the public education system, and added one post comparing Indian women unfavorably to Latino women, among other musings.

“I honestly didn’t plan to speak tonight, but I’ve been made aware of things that have been recently posted online by members of this board, and I have to say that I am truly saddened by what I’ve seen,” county resident Kelly Shaeffer said. “What’s being posted are openly misogynistic, racist, homophobic, and incredibly demeaning toward other human beings.”

Shaeffer said she was “too embarrassed” to read Mullins’ posts aloud, but would forward them to her supervisor, Chair Lori Hayes, who represents the Lee Hill District.

Shaeffer said that she was offended by Mullins’ posts because he doesn’t just represent the people who agree with him; he represents all his constituents, including ones who didn’t vote for him.

“When I see this kind of disregard for people being expressed publicly, by our very own board members sitting up here tonight, I can’t help but question whether there is a disconnect between the people you represent and the people you choose to be worthy,” Shaeffer said.

Mullins took time during his board comments to apologize for his online remarks. He said that his X account, which has over 8,600 followers, is a “parody account” and he often “plays rough” and says whatever comes to mind. He states on his X bio that his opinions do not represent Spotsylvania County. Although many of his posts were made earlier this month, he said that he’s since realized he’s a “flawed person” and he found Jesus Christ.

“I’m sorry if I hurt someone’s feelings or if I said something that offended anyone, regardless of how I feel about it and regardless of if it’s a parody account or not,” Mullins said. “That’s why I’m saying what I’m saying to you now, because I truly mean it. If I hurt someone’s feelings or said something inappropriate, I’d like to think that some of those things were in the past, but regardless, I own whatever’s out there. It’s my words, so I want people to know that I’ll do better from now on.”

Staats, however, encouraged the public to review Mullins’ remarks. On Reddit, there’s a thread that was started in 2023 when Mullins was a candidate, dedicated to highlighting his comments.

“Even a cursory review will not only be enlightening but will also be found to be highly inappropriate for an elected official of Spotsylvania County,” Staats said. “These posts certainly give the impression that some members of Mr. Mullins’ constituency would not be afforded their due and proper consideration of their concerns on issues they raised … I find this to be quite troubling and ask Mr. Mullins, what assurances do your constituents have that this is not the case? For these reasons, I ask the full board to look into Mr. Mullins’ behavior and whether or not it violates the county’s code of conduct.”